Katherine Fraser: “Darkness & Light”

Does being alone lead you inward for greater awareness, or does it frighten you? Philly portrait artist Katherine Fraser lives for those moments in life when, say, you’re out walking alone in the snow and, BAM, something simple blows your mind wide open. You’re caught off guard and just standing there, staring. For her show tonight, Fraser unveils a new body of work, capturing that thoughtful loneliness sometimes paired with colder months. Not that sad, self-indulgent lonesome feeling—more like how “being alone can make us feel most alive and connected to our true nature,” she says. Her candid, dreamlike and almost photographic paintings evoke calm introspection. Capturing subjects in surreal landscapes with dramatic cinematic lighting, the mood of each painting pulls you in and leaves you wondering. Jazz by the Dan Dechellis Trio, snacks, wine and beer provided. -Sean Corbett